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Planes

Planes are chisel-like blades mounted in stocks or
bodies. They assist the worker by holding the blade at the correct angle, by
regulating the cutting depth, and sometimes by positioning the cut on the wood.

Bench planes were used to plane wood to the desired thickness and to make it straight and smooth. They could be used on either the wood's broad surfaces or its edges.

Molding planes were made in a great variety of shapes. Hollows and rounds were versatile planes used to cut simple round and hollow shapes, which could be combined to make more complicated moldings. Other moldings planes cut only one design. Since a different plane was required for each shape and size molding, woodworkers often owned other planes or large numbers of these planes.